The present invention relates to methods for making gloves, more particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated gloves. The invention also relates to PVC coated gloves with a rough surface.
Gloves with enhanced gripping characteristics are desirable in many fields of industry. In particular, synthetic or natural latex rubber gloves have been manufactured by various routes. For example U.S. Pat. No. 7,814,570 discloses synthetic or natural latex gloves without liners, which have a roughened surface obtained by using a tacky polymeric coagulant with the coagulant particles forming impressions on the latex glove surface.
Similar techniques are disclosed in US-A-2007/0192929 relating, again to latexes of natural or synthetic rubber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,072 relates to coated gloves with a rubber or resin (such as vinyl resin) coating which ensures adequate ventilation. This is achieved in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,072 by coating a liner of the glove with a foaming resin solution and subsequently applying low pressure to the coating in order to burst the small bubbles on the surface. After curing, a porous surface is produced improving grip as well as ventilation.
There is, however, a need to provide improved grip for other types of gloves in particular gloves based on polyvinyl chloride having a liner. Although, generally, such gloves have reasonably good grip in dry conditions (and occasionally also in the presence of water) PVC gloves generally have poor or very poor grip in oily conditions.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide methods of making gloves using PVC which provides significantly enhanced grip, feel for the user and also appearance compared to known PVC gloves.